Victor and Natasha Immanuel, the Directors of Charis Bible College Naberezhyne Chelny, Russia. (Click to enlarge)Victor Immanuel was born and raised in Vellore, Tamilnadu in India. In 2001, he moved to Russia to study medicine and become a doctor. While studying to help and heal people in St. Petersburg, he had an encounter with the Gospel and met the true Healer, Jesus.

Victor was raised in a home with mixed religious beliefs; his mother was a Christian, while his father preferred to follow Hindu practices. As a teenager, Victor leaned more toward his father's belief in an acceptance of all gods. This leaning changed however, when at the age of 17 he came across a dead dog wasting away in the street. The sight of the dog's rotting carcass prompted Victor to ask himself deep questions: Would he end up like the dog in the street? What was after death? Why was he alive at all? These questions and many others troubled Victor, to the point that he sought the council of local religious leaders. Hindu leaders told him that after death he would go to God or to hell or come back as an animal, depending upon how he lived his life prior to death. They gave him a list of rules and regulations to follow to get to God. When Victor asked if they could guarantee (with one hundred Victor and his family. Victor was born and raised in Vellore, Tamilnadu in India. (Click to enlarge)percent certainty) that he would go to God if he followed all the rules, they said, no. Frightened by the Hindu leaders' lack of security, Victor asked Muslim friends the same questions. Their rule and regulation-rich answers were delivered with similar uncertainty.

Finally, Victor turned to Christian friends for answers; these friends brought Victor to their pastor. The pastor shared the gospel with Victor. Doubting the simplicity of believing in Christ's finished work for salvation, Victor asked the pastor for a one hundred percent guarantee. The pastor's reply startled Victor, "Not 100%...200%! I am sure you will be with God, if you trust in Jesus." Victor Victor ministering during his first mission trip to Chelny (Click to enlarge)received Jesus after his conversation with the pastor.

A short time later, as Victor was seeking the Lord about His plan for his life, he sensed the Lord leading him to Russia. "He said he had a ministry for me in Russia," said Victor. He kept the Lord's words in his heart, and he moved to Russia with the intent to study medicine.

Upon settling in St. Petersburg, Victor became involved with a local church. During one service, it was announced that Carrie Pickett, a Charis Bible College graduate and missionary from Colorado, was going to host bible school classes in the evenings. Victor was excited by the thought of studying medicine during the day and studying the Bible at night.

Victor sitting with mentor, teacher and friend, Mike Pickett, Co-director of CBTC and AWM-Russia, watching Andrew speak during his visit to St. Petersburg, Russia, (Click to enlarge)It was through his evening studies with Carrie that Victor was introduced to Andrew's ministry. Although he frequently heard Carrie mention Andrew by name, he was not terribly interested in him because he had never seen Andrew in person. In 2008, Victor's perspective about Andrew and Christianity was radically transformed when Andrew visited St. Petersburg. Victor said, "Andrew spoke on Spirit, Soul & Bodyand Believer's Authority, and this totally changed my life... I got the understanding of who I am in the spirit, what kind of power is living inside me, and how to use the [believer's] authority. [Andrew] demonstrated this by healing people. I found what I had been seeking. I went to Andrew's website and downloaded all the teachings. Every day, for four hours, I listened to him, and I got a very good grip on the word of God."

Victor visits with men from a drug rehab. He has seen many healings in this facility. (Click to enlarge)Victor continued his studies enrolling in classes at Charis Bible Training Center. As he grew in the Word, he desired to see the power of God manifest through him; he was looking for an opportunity to see people healed and raised from the dead. In August of 2009, he came across a woman lying in the street. The woman was motionless, and her mother stood nearby crying. Victor stopped to help, and as he supported the woman's head, he prayed in tongues. He heard Holy Spirit instruct him to lay his hand on her heart. Victor spoke and said, "Heart work in the name of Jesus." Immediately, she started breathing, stood up and began walking around."I was so excited to see this happen, to see the word of God accomplished its work; I was so happy," recalled Victor.

Victor's second mission trip to Chelny. He prayed for this boys deaf ears to hear, and they were opened.(Click to enlarge)Victor's experience set his ministry in motion. He has seen many other manifestations of God's power since that day. Following his encounters with God, Victor's desire to be a doctor began to wane. He knew he had the power of God on the inside of him—the power to heal and help others, and although he was still in medical school, he turned his full attention to ministry.

One other person had a significant impact on Victor's life as well, CBTC graduate, Natasha Starikova. At first, Victor knew of Natasha only by name, through the church he attended in St. Petersburg. After her CBTC graduation, Natasha became a missionary, and the church often prayed for her as she traveled to foreign countries. Victor put a face with her name in 2010, when she returned to CBTC to Victor and Natasha were married in 2010. (Click to enlarge)teach several leadership classes. The two finally met during Victor's mission trip to Naberezhnye Chelny late in 2010. Victor and Natasha witnessed many miracles on the trip, and had the opportunity to discuss their stories and the desires of their hearts—sharing their passions for Christ. The two had an instant connection, and within days they knew they were to be partners for life. They were married on November 27, 2010.

Eventually, Victor's practice of placing a higher priority on his call to ministry than his medical studies cost him his medical degree, and that is fine with him. Today Victor and Natasha run a CBC extension school in Naberezhnye Chelny and Victor pastors a church called, God's Love, which he planted there two years ago. With regard to his pursuit of ministry Victor said, "Basically I found my ministry place, my wife, provision—everything—just because I chose to follow my heart. I lost my Victor speaking during the commencement ceremony for CBC-Naberezhnye Chelny's first graduating class. (L-R: Victor, Natasha, Andrew, his translator, Vladimir Tcys, Carrie and Mike Pickett).(Click to enlarge)medical degree, but I [gained] the most valuable persons and things in my life. I never feel sorry for myself because I don`t have a medical degree. I produce better results as a son of God than as a medical doctor! I've seen a lady raised from the dead. I've seen HIV patients healed, blind eyes and deaf ears opened, coma patients raised up, broken legs healed, tuberculosis and hepatitis C healed, allergies healed, and many, many more. I've produced better results using God's word than using medical knowledge. I am not against medical doctors, but I am not called to be one!"

Reader Comments (5)

Powerful. Tear drawing! Wow, decisions determine destinies. No words to express God, are there?. Thank you Jesus, for testimonies like this. Thank you Voctor, thank you laborers at AWM; and thank you Jesus for Andrew and Jamie. I tell you, you dont need to wait until you get to heaven to be so refreshed with the fruit of your work brother Andrew! IT IS HAPPENING NOW!

He is the one who introduced Jesus in my life and am happy to share that on 3rd august 2013 my whole family accepted Jesus as their personal savior ..Message was carried by brother Arun david who is a part of AWMI & continuing his ministry work with victor ... God Bless you all victor - nathasha,Arun david and family and big thanks to Andrew who is such a blessing in all our lives ..

HiThis prayer requested for my sons older one 7years old named Kevin and younger one 4years old named Samuel.I just came through this website and trusting that God will cure my kids from Autism( not yet diagnosed by doctors but we know by school teachers and therapists assurance.We are going this Monday to Developmental pediatrician for evaluation, but still don't care and i know what they will say abt my boys.I really trust in God for my boys healing after i saw the testimony from Autism to awesome abt the boy James in this website, it really touched my heart and the story is accurately 100% same as mine word by word line by line.My older one has some Autistic behaviours ( teacher said he may have Aspergers ,which is highly funtioning Autism)When i conceived my second child the therapist came home to teach my older son said that to me that i may have give birth to the developmental delayed baby since my older one is like that.It really bothered me ,so sincerely i woke up aroud 3'o clock early in the morning i keep my hand on my stomach i start praying the i should not have developmetal delayed kid.I know how my older one sucked all my mental strength and my physical strength, and i strongly beleived that I Will Never Ever Have Those Type of Son.because i prayed to Jesus so no way i'm going to have what she said.My second Son born on May 17th 2009. He has more good looking , charming face and everything. First two years of lives went normal i was so happy to have him as my Son ,everything went normal, i was so happy that i got a beautiful child.The first two years passed by, he supposed to talk little words but no word spoken other than Amma, but i still in beleiving that God never leave me coz i prayed before he born so he won't have any developmental delayed issues.But guess what happened he has more severe developmental delay than my older one. My heart was terribly broken more tears more agony more stress everthing turn on to god,so i do pray not much as before why this is happened Why God didn't listen to my prayer and all those agony questions ,Now he is attending special developmental delayed school for Autism kids, the worst part is I take my Son to the school in the morning , In the same campus there is a preschool which is for normally developed kids, i have to pass that side every single time. I'll be sitting in my car watching my Son Samuel holding his teacherhands and entering into his special side of his school door, My tears will burst out when i see that scene every single time. I don't want that this burden is too much for my back to hold on too i know God is strengthen me now but now the timtime for some hope or some light for me to have more hope.My Husband never did't get angry on God , he always tells me that nothing happened don't worry he will be alright, things like that, but as a Mother it is very hard for me to see my Kids like that.I can not go to thevBirthday party or even anything like crowd places with Samuel ,even to the church my Husband have to go to one week then i go to anotherweek coz somebody have to watch Samuel. But how long i have to hold like this? i need some deliverance from this .I also want to feel how the normal kids life or family, i also want to cheerfully enjoy my kids childhood memories.Not the pain or anxious life everyday what teacher will say abt my kids or what my friends will think abt my Son or what my neighbour hood people will think abt my Son thibgs like that.Why this have to happen to my family my kids? after all those prayers?Samuel now he is 4 years old, but he never played with anyone his age group kids, my husband have to carry him all the time as soon as we step out side of the house. He is physicall fit only mentally don't know what to say.After i saw the testimony now i really have a hope on God that he will deliver my Son from this World of Autism and i want to give the testimony like James Mom.Please pray for our son Samuel healing and Kevin's healing, i'm waiting Gods miracle with my burdened heart.Mother of my Kids Sudha.